When is a diesel engine overkill??

Big_Sarge · Jan 20, 2017

So I'm a looking a getting a truck within the next year and a half and trying to do as much research as I can before purchase. I am very interested in both the 1500 with 3.0 turbo diesel and the 2500 with the 6.7 Turbo diesel (I prefer the 2500).I have no experience with a diesel, but what leads me to wanting one is the fuel economy and reliability. I am a Soldier so driving home on leave it saves in fuel costs, helps when moving across country, and honestly I just want a truck.

I plan on purchasing this truck and keeping it for 15+ years. I hear cummins run forever which is why I am leaning toward the 2500. I understand the extra cost that can come with owning a diesel i.e. more expensive oil changes, parts are more expensive to replace. If you wanna keep a diesel running you got to stay up on changing all fluids and filters. All worth the investment in my eyes.

With that said my biggest questions are:
1) Should I steer away from a 6.7 diesel engine if I only use it as a daily driver?
2) if I never tow anything with the 6.7 will it lead to engine issues?
3) is the 3.0 Turbo diesel worth the investment? (I hear mixed reviews)
4) can I make a gas engine hold up for 15+ years

Thanks for all the help and opinions in advance!

BBRAM2500 · Jan 20, 2017

Well the real question is do you need a 3/4 ton the fuel economy between the 1500 diesel and 2500 are very different but both are good for there size and utility needs do yoy haul a 7000lb trailer all over get a 6.7 do you just buzz to and from work and once in a while haul sum 2x4 buy the 1500 diesel then it comes down to price too get a loaded lifted 2500 you will spend 80g buy the 1500 loaded its like 60g. So its what your using it for and what budget you have

BBRAM2500 · Jan 20, 2017

Also as for oil changes the cummins you only change every 15000km and fuel filters ever 25 to 30 so its not as bad as it sounds

69GWC · Jan 20, 2017

I changed my oil every 6 to 7k and my fuel filter every other oil change.
If your not pulling anything real heavy alot there is really no need for a 6.7, and empty/not pulling the 5.7 and 6.7 get similar fuel mileage atleast for me they do.

Big_Sarge · Jan 20, 2017

BBRAM2500 said:
Well the real question is do you need a 3/4 ton the fuel economy between the 1500 diesel and 2500 are very different but both are good for there size and utility needs do yoy haul a 7000lb trailer all over get a 6.7 do you just buzz to and from work and once in a while haul sum 2x4 buy the 1500 diesel then it comes down to price too get a loaded lifted 2500 you will spend 80g buy the 1500 loaded its like 60g. So its what your using it for and what budget you have[/QUOTE

The truth is I don't need the 3/4 ton. What makes them appealing to me is the longevity of the engine, but the thing that I don't know is if I never tow anything will that lead to later issues with the engine bc it is never getting fully worked?

Also I hear a lot of negatives with the 3.0 diesel

blrmkrl83 · Jan 20, 2017

I've never had a diesel so I can't give you any advise other than I've read a lot of short trips are hard on them. I feel a gas engine easily has the potential to last 15 years. If you keep up on maintenance, don't beet the crap out of it, don't drive a ton of city miles, and don't spend a lot of time idling I would expect to get 200,000 miles or if it. The most I've got is 242,000. The motor was still in great shape

kltk1 · Jan 20, 2017

I've been through this exercise. Do yourself a favor and put pen to paper to see the actual costs of ownership over 100k. Believe it or not, if fuel mileage is your concern AND you rarely tow, the Pentastar is the way to go. Adding Ecodiesel is a $4-5k upcharge. 5.7 Hemi is a $1500 upcharge. When you figure in the full cost of ownership (oil changes, fuel costs, maintenance etc) the Pentastar is about $3000 less to own over 100k.

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bryan28 · Jan 20, 2017

If you decide on a diesel I'd suggest the 1500 from how you described how you'd use it. I'd also wait until next year. From what I've been hearing the manufacturers are going to do away with the def systems currently required on diesel engines. That would save some money in the long run.
A member on this site known as RLK had a gas engine Dodge Ram for 17 years if I'm not mistaken. If you take care of it and realize that things will break periodically and need fixing or replacing it is possible to make a truck last 15+ years. Even a diesel will need maintenance if you want it to last.

Cmsharp · Jan 20, 2017

Hemi and the Ecodiesel are both excellent options. I debated which one to buy. I ended up getting the Hemi for the price. The ecodiesel would probably pay for itself in about 75000 miles of driving according to todays prices and probably have a little more resale value, but the hemi was a little more enjoyable to drive. I wouldn't consider the 2500 unless I needed to tow 6k plus. To each his own though.

yillbs · Jan 20, 2017

If you can afford it, grab a Cummins. These eco diesels serve no real purpose imo. The Hemi has more power, and overall has a higher towing and payload capacity. If you want fuel economy, sure the little eco diesel will suit you well, but at that rate , you should just look at a mid size truck. Hemi is where it is. Unless of course, you can afford that Cummins. Both engines will last you a life time, the eco diesel imo is just to "toy like" for me.

57buick · Jan 21, 2017

In my 6.7L diesel I get 20 to 25mpg. And I put a lot of miles on my vehicle on the highway. When I was shopping I was finding 6 year old diesels still selling for 35K so I decided on a new Cummins diesel. And I love it.

Will always have value where a gas engine with 150k or 200k is considered worthless no matter how well you think you took care of it. To a potential buyer you won't give but a couple thousand for a truck with 200k miles.

The maintenance costs is neglible over a gas engine. Especially with a bypass oil filter on it.

SwollenMonkey16 · Jan 21, 2017

Hemi is a great motor. Take care of it and it'll get you at least 250k miles.

And I don't know many ppl who will pay high dollar for a 200k mile diesel either maybe 100k but I ain't wasting money on 150-200k.

yillbs · Jan 21, 2017

scubabill said:
The Hemi has less torque and worse gas mileage than the EcoDiesel.

The EcoDiesel also has better towing capacity than a mid sized truck.

It has 10 ft-lb more, and significantly less horsepower.

I'm not hating on it, I just think it's a toy. It doesn't compete with the ecoboost motors, it can't compete with the Hemi. Its trying to be in its own little class, but the o pay real thing it has going for it is the fact it gets insane gas , which, that in itself is great for some people.

Its almost as bad as the ****** Cummins they put in the titan

BBRAM2500 · Jan 21, 2017

If your set on a cummins do like i did i waited and they did the free cummins add on and 0% down i got my slt with offroad package tow package and a few other goodies out the door for 50k canadian the msrp was just under 80 they way i outfited it and i heard someone say the hemi gets same milage well ill say this my 2014 hemi at best got 15 per 100km highway and 19 in town my cummins get 14 in town and 10.5 to 10.9 highway thats hand calculated too

bubbagumpshrimp · Jan 21, 2017

kltk1 said:
I've been through this exercise. Do yourself a favor and put pen to paper to see the actual costs of ownership over 100k. Believe it or not, if fuel mileage is your concern AND you rarely tow, the Pentastar is the way to go. Adding Ecodiesel is a $4-5k upcharge. 5.7 Hemi is a $1500 upcharge. When you figure in the full cost of ownership (oil changes, fuel costs, maintenance etc) the Pentastar is about $3000 less to own over 100k.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

Yup. I just did the comparison for this. My takeaway...the Ecodiesel is along the lines of the TDI/diesel engine I had in my '13 Volkswagen. It's a novelty. Nothing more. By the time you factor in increased fuel costs (compared to regular unleaded in the base model) and the premium of the engine...you're not much better off than with the base engine. That's before you factor in the likely eventual failure of the modern diesel emissions components. ex. DPF filter and DEF heater.

Now you need to account for what I'll call the "Diesel Novelty Factor." That is...to me...pretty much the only reason why anyone buys a diesel passenger vehicle or light truck. Well...that and the illusion that the MPG is going to save them a ton of money over the base model.

If you're using your truck primarily as a commuter vehicle and your ONLY concern is overall operating cost...the 3.6L Pentastar is the way to go.

If you're dead set on a diesel and money isn't a concern...go get the 2500.

yillbs · Jan 21, 2017

bubbagumpshrimp said:
Yup. I just did the comparison for this. My takeaway...the Ecodiesel is along the lines of the TDI/diesel engine I had in my '13 Volkswagen. It's a novelty. Nothing more. By the time you factor in increased fuel costs (compared to regular unleaded in the base model) and the premium of the engine...you're not much better off than with the base engine. That's before you factor in the likely eventual failure of the modern diesel emissions components. ex. DPF filter and DEF heater.

Now you need to account for what I'll call the "Diesel Novelty Factor." That is...to me...pretty much the only reason why anyone buys a diesel passenger vehicle or light truck. Well...that and the illusion that the MPG is going to save them a ton of money over the base model.

If you're using your truck primarily as a commuter vehicle and your ONLY concern is overall operating cost...the 3.6L Pentastar is the way to go.

If you're dead set on a diesel and money isn't a concern...go get the 2500.

This is the best advice the op can read!

malatu · Jan 21, 2017

Consider this: If you plan on keeping the truck for at least 10 years, and it's your daily driver, consider the Pentastar engine and get a lifetime warranty from Ram to place on the truck.

In my opinion, most all engines whether gas or diesel, can outlast the other parts of the vehicle (Let's assume 10 years and 300,000 miles or less). I'm not 100% positive, but I don't think you can get the lifetime warranty on the diesel. If that's the case, you could come out way head on the pentastar if you had any major repairs covered by the lifetime warranty. I was quoted $2,600 for a lifetime warranty a few months ago and was told the price would be increasing with the new year.

I don't know many people that have had to replace an engine. It's usually system components and electronics that fail.

Just a thought. You've got options.

huntergreen · Jan 21, 2017

SwollenMonkey16 said:
Hemi is a great motor. Take care of it and it'll get you at least 250k miles.

And I don't know many ppl who will pay high dollar for a 200k mile diesel either maybe 100k but I ain't wasting money on 150-200k.

same truck, one with a cummins the other a hemi all things equal, the cummins will be more dollars. of course i dont buy vehicles based on resale.

Sweetee · Jan 21, 2017

yillbs said:
This is the best advice the op can read!

From what I've seen and heard, you can't order a 3.0 Diesel for 2017. I haven't seen any on any dealer lots. Could it be that they can't meet emission standards?

I do a lot of driving for my local dealer and I'd can't believe when someone states they get 20-25mpg with the Cummins in their 2500/3500. Unless you are working the truck with big loads and/or towing a majority of the time, I think you are probably "chasing your tail" trying to make financial sense with a Diesel. If you "want" and Diesel and can afford it, then, by all means go for it. Good luck.

Gump · Jan 21, 2017

Don't forget the costs of servicing the emission systems on the diesels. Going to spend a few grand every 100K miles it seems. The best mileage we got out of our 6.7 trucks was 16.5 on the highway. Diesels made after 2007 in my opinion have gone to ****, which is why I have a Hemi truck now.

When is a diesel engine overkill??

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